


Ex Infinitum

by hydrostatic_equilibrium



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: A Few Billion Years After The Events Of Star Wars, Force Ghost(s), Gen, Thats Not How Astrophysics Works, This Is Like The Most Dramatic Thing I've Ever Written, What Would Happen If You Put All The Force Ghosts In A Room Together
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:26:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28413120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hydrostatic_equilibrium/pseuds/hydrostatic_equilibrium
Summary: They sat, waiting, wandering, and wondering.  The souls of Jedi were one with the Force, across space, and infinite.  But the day came for their Order to rise again, for them to return to the physical plane.  They must protect the Universe once more.  As old adversaries arise from the fabric of space, the Jedi must face them head on.  And at the epicenter of it all: a planet not so unfamiliar.
Kudos: 8





	1. Cosmos: Time Unknown

**Author's Note:**

> Hey Y'all. First of all thanks to anyone who reads this, you're amazing!!! :) Second of all, I'm not well versed in the canon/legends Force Ghost lore, so this is essentially my hot take on it + wookiepedia to make sure I don't mess up the facts too badly. As the story goes on, I will update the tags and characters accordingly. As of now I don't plan on there being any romantic pairings, but the drawing board for this fic is still hazy, so I'll make a note if that changes. I also tend towards shorter chapters, sorry if that bothers you, I know it's a character flaw lol. I hope you like it and I love any comments, suggestions, and criticism you have. They all help me grow as a writer :)

**Cosmos: Time Unknown**

The universe expanded as the Force remained constant. When the Jedi fell, the unknown deepened. That was when one could still harness the ways of the Force. None, however, could emulate the Jedi; it was simply a new era of parlor tricks for those worthy of the Midichlorians coursing through their veins. It was called witchcraft by many, magic by some, and even deified by others. But no one understood it, none since the Jedi.

Civilizations rose and civilizations crumbled. Galaxies were born, and galaxies died. All things perish in time --the Galaxy of the Jedi too ceased to exist, but by then they were long forgotten. Not even a whisper of the Order remained on the lips of legends. Yet the Force remained waiting, for the Force was eternal. As entropy pushed onwards, the ability to wield its essence ceased --permanently. The Midichlorians had died, and the Force itself had shifted. What was once an all encompassing shield against the harshness of the Universe, was now a thin sheet passively supporting space-time. Nevertheless, it was still beautiful. 

And it was forgotten, by all. 

All except a few. There were those present within its veil, occluded from the lens of the universe and its inhabitants. But these guardians did not remain inert. For they were Jedi, sworn to their vows eternally.  _ Emotion, yet peace. Ignorance, yet knowledge. Passion, yet serenity. Chaos, yet harmony. Death, yet the Force. _ Except, they would never die, for they were one with the Force, and the Force was one with them. Their consciousness was interwoven with the fabric of reality itself. Acting as protectors for all sentients, indefinitely.

Through order there was peace. Though it was an infinite process, one that wrecked turmoil on the Universe. For though many of these protectors had pledged their fealty to the light, an opposing tribe too existed in the cosmos. The Sith. These spirits of opposition were always active, eternally countering the Jedi, it was simply their nature. Existence required balance, and the antimony of the Jedi and the Sith maintained it so.

A new dawn had arisen, however, and it would be a trial for all. For a long kept secret had been unlocked, one that had never been uttered before. One that very much should have remained hidden. In the billions of years since the Orders had existed in the physical plane, the Force had remained dormant. But now it whispered, yet only to its favorite son. It spoke sweet nothings and promises of eternal light. This is what it told to the soul of Anakin Skywalker. Little did he know that its dulcet tones had entranced one other. It had lit a beacon. Only a singularity, a simple speck of space that would become the single most important speck forever. It had the power to destroy or save the universe, and it was only visible to two: the brightest light, and the darkest shadow. For the Force craved balance. 


	2. Jedi Council: 100,000 BC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter I wrote ahead of time, I may finish up another today, but idk. Update reliability will be as chaotic as me, but I always do finish fics eventually :)

**Jedi Council: 100,000 BC**

“The years of silence have come to an end. I have discovered a truth we have longed hoped for, but never dared wish for. The Force has spoken, and I have listened.” Total silence fell upon the members of the eternal Jedi Order. Nothing could phase them anymore; they knew the secrets embedded in the universe; they had seen every type of sentient, every type of galaxy. But this, this shocked them. For the Force did not speak. The Force had not spoken since the time of their heartbeats, the time of their home. But if it were to whisper, there was no doubt in the minds of the order that its whisper would be to Anakin. He was the strongest of their ranks, their Chosen Light.

The spirit closest to their messiah was the first to respond. There was no contest in his tone, simply awe. “Anakin, what did it divulge?” Asked Obi-Wan Kenobi with a calm patience that was intrinsic to his soul, yet perfected over eternity.

“The Force has lit a torch, one only I can see, but all can use. It has told us that it is time. We will no longer lie in the cosmos, helping only indirectly through this ineffable medium, trapped. We will return to the physical plane, and be able to guard the universe once more with the ways of the Jedi Order. The promises we have made, the vows we have taken, our dedication to preserve the light: All will be possible once more, and all will be light.” He relayed. The silence had been broken, hope was renewed.

The son of the light spoke next, “This is wonderful Father. We won’t be restricted by this eternal plane, we can do good, we can help galaxies again! We will restore peace.” The son of the light was Luke, and though he didn’t burn as bright as his father, he had always shone with positivity. He supported the order through his warmth. 

The most respected of the Order spoke then, “Go to this beacon we must, reestablish the Ancient ways of the Jedi, we will. Much service we can give to the light, much more than we are able to now. On the physical plane, serve the sentients, we will. Help the light flourish, we can.” Yoda stated with assurance.

“We should send a group of scouts to the singularity. Though there are generations of Jedi here, it is important to proceed with caution. We have been united for time eternal in the fabric of existence, yet have little experience in the physical plane. One star in a galaxy of billions would be an apt reflection of our plight. The limitations of flesh may prove dangerous and unpredictable. I think it would be prudent to send Anakin, Qui-gon, and myself as these scouts. We have extensive field experience with each other, and that may be the only advantage we can secure --after all, we have no idea what to expect of the local sentients.” Kenobi declared with impeccable logic. Through the Force an air of confirmation was granted from their brethren --the Jedi no longer needed words for such simple feelings. 

“I am in accordance with my once Padawan on the matter. My only concern is of the Living Force. Tell me Skywalker, did the Force instruct you as to how to return to the astral plane? Would it be reasonable to expect that we must live out a full sentient lifecycle before our essences join the stars again?” The venerable Qui-Gon Jinn inquired.

“Master Jedi, though I was not directly instructed on these matters, your statement resonates in the Force. We all can feel that it does not spark resistance or distrust, so your ever clever balance with the Living Force appears to have guided you true.” Anakin relayed. He had grown far more well spoken in time.

“Decided, it has been. Force be with you, May it. Until meet again, we do.”


	3. Earth 90,000 BC

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer, I have taken only one intro to cultural anthropology course, so naturally know nothing about the emergence of civilizations. This rudimentary timeline is all based on google and Sapiens (a pretty decent book, I’d recommend it!). I’m placing them somewhere in Africa because that’s where humans began. Another disclaimer, I don’t know much about African geography, I just know it’s hot and dry, so I’m kinda just going off of those vibes. It starts out as a general narrator but the *** denote a shift to Obi-Wan's POV. I plan on bopping between a bunch of different people over time, and I'll use this notation in future chapters as well. Hope y'all enjoy, and thanks for reading XOXO

**Earth 90,000 BC**

“Well Anakin, it looks like you finally figured it out. And it only took a handful of millenia.” Obi-Wan Kenobi said sarcastically, his demeanor was quite different around his lineage, more casual. Eon upon eon had not destroyed their friendship, or their banter. Qui-Gon looked around their landing point, he was pensive and nonplussed. 

“Well sorry _Master,_ opening up a dimensionally planar portal wasn’t covered in the lessons you so graciously gave me.” Anakin quipped back. Those whose paths had crossed in their mortal lives had always clung to their connections; they simply had stronger bonds than with the other eternal Jedi.

“Well done Anakin, but this is just the beginning. Now, we must find a civilization.” Qui-Gon stated simply.

Obi-Wan immediately shifted into analysis, the detail oriented Jedi had always been a skilled scholar. “Well it’s good to know we have not been incarnated as another sentient, I would hate to have misplaced a soul so needlessly. Qui-Gon, you appear as if you are the age of a young Knight, before I met you even. And Anakin you don’t look a day over twenty.” Obi-Wan began to ramble.

Cutting him off Anakin questioned, “Do you know what the best part is?”

“No, please do enlighten me.”

“I have limbs, no durasteel here.” He pulled back a simple cotton tunic, that the Force had thankfully graced them with, to reveal his arms. 

“My Grandpadawan, you are incorrect. The best part is this.” Anakin and Obi-Wan stared at him expectantly, Anakin’s head cocked in question, and Obi-Wan’s brow furrowed inquisitively. Qui-Gon smiled, and with a flick of his wrist the rest of his lineage was dumped directly backwards into the sandy ground. Obi-Wan gave him a death glare, as if saying ‘seriously, you're immortal and your level of maturity has managed to plateau at _this._ ’ Anakin just laughed.

“You know, I’m so happy to have a body again, that I don’t even care that you just knocked my ass into sand. Speaking of, we should head towards the end of the sand and scale those mountains, I sense lifeforms”

“I second that.” Said Obi-Wan, as he stood up and brushed off his tunic. “It’s a shame that the Force didn’t manifest any lightsabers, but I guess we should be grateful for the clothes at all.” He admitted while trudging towards a hazy outline of geographical elevation.

Four hours later they reached their proclaimed destination. The mountains posed a definite challenge, but they were not daunting, the Jedi had seen far grander. They were however, riddled with a network of caves. The first cave they entered was shallow, hardly fit for shelter, but the Sun had long passed its zenith, and they decided it was prudent to stay for the night. The climate itself seemed temperate, and there was no sense of danger in the Force. As Qui-Gon searched the surroundings for flammables, his companions explored their dwelling. It was really more of an outcropping than a cave at all. It extended maybe two body lengths inwards, and had a small gap in its wall that led to a smaller chamber.

“Hey Obi-Wan, look at this.” Anakin gestured for his former Master to accompany him to the smaller room. Before them stood a mural, faded and crude, but present. If depicted some sort of four legged creatures, but it lacked the artistry to gauge further insights. It was their first indication that the planet contained sentient life.

“Oh, how...civilized” Obi-Wan proclaimed with displeasure, taking note that the drawings were copper, a clear implication that the medium at play was blood. “Well, let's hope these aren’t the primary species here. I cannot fathom how difficult it will be for the Order if the only place we can manifest is barren of any useful technology.” He said with concern.

“Yeah, I wonder if these,” He gestured to the species in the depiction, “are the sentients who created this, or if they’re some sort of game.” He squinted, as if trying to take in more information from the wall. “They do kind of look like Banthas though, you have to admit.” He stated in a teasing tone. Obi-Wan gave him a deadpan glare. There was an undertone of remorse to the interaction, however. Though they had both despised Tatooine for various reasons, it had been a quiet millennium for the two after they had felt its demise. Time did that. No one could stop the progress of the stars. When Tatoo II had turned into a red giant, the planet had been engulfed in flames, a fitting death, but a sad one. Tatooine itself had been devoid of lifeforms for millions of years, but memories left scars on its surface, both good and bad. The moment was broken when Qui-Gon chose to reappear; his arms were full of some sort of wood, and simple debris for kindling.

“I found a lifeform! It was a small reptilian of sorts, it hissed at me when I took its log, so I returned it to him. I think we should try and hunt them tomorrow if we cannot find enough information to return to the Jedi by then. After all, bodies need sustenance, I feel my own beginning to dehydrate already.” He said offhandedly.

*******

The next day Obi-Wan awoke from his slumber with a crick in his neck. He wasn’t even irritated, however, it was nice having things like a neck again. He had always been an early riser when he had been alive. That much hadn’t seemed to change, he noted, as he glanced over at his dozing compatriots. He was slightly disoriented, not having slept in eons, but he quickly compartmentalized this. They had work to do, the Jedi were relying on them to give accurate and detailed information on the planet which Anakin had already taken to calling ‘Tatooine Two’ given the prevalence of sand. 

“Get up”, he nudged them gently with the Force, to wake them.

“Wanna sleep more, go away.” Was the response he gained from his former Padawan. Qui-Gon simply rolled over. Obi-Wan sighed to himself, so they were gonna have to do this the hard way, he decided. Emerging from the deep recesses of his memories, was a technique used by his Master on him, and himself on Anakin. Reaching into the Force, he centered himself, and followed through. Immediately the two slumbering Jedi were raised up, by their ankles, into suspension.

“WHAT THE KARK! Master, I'm awake, that wasn’t necessary.” Anakin grumbled. Qui-Gon acknowledged the suspension seeming to regard its existence as unsavory, he was a man of fewer and fewer words these days.

“Yes, well now you are. It was an arduous accomplishment.” Obi-Wan quipped back. “Come on, let's go search for sentients, and maybe find some sustenance if we plan to stay on this planet for longer than a few cycles.” He stated confidently. Obi-Wan liked plans, even open-ended plans such as this gave him a semblance of control over the situation.

Their hike began quietly, but quickly they saw signs of beings. They were ascending to the top of the mountains to try and gain a vantage point to help their search for cities or any signs of infrastructure. Obi-Wan felt fatigued. He knew it wasn’t due to lack of physical capability, the vessel he had returned to had the muscles of a hardworking Jedi in his prime. He simply wasn’t used to physicality anymore after eternity in the cosmos, it was a shock to his system quite literally. The others didn’t appear to be faring any better.

“That’s the fourth fire pit we have passed, we should find them soon.” Anakin stated in regards to the local sentients. They still held out hope that this world was not limited to these primitive beings, however.

“Trust in the Living Force, I feel that we will uncover the truth when we reach the peaks. I sense a greater living presence at the mountaintop.” Qui-Gon replied cryptically. Obi-Wan decided to just trust his former Master on this one, the Living Force felt homogenous to him.

It was mid-day when they found them. Gathered in a circle on the top of a mountain, were a group of humanoids. Their lean tanned bodies were sparsely clothed in animal pelts. They carried simple weapons, crude spears, and small knives; all made of rock. And they were hostile. Upon spotting the trio, the Jedi were greeted with javelin upon javelin of accurately placed throws. Obi-Wan used the Force to deflect the projectiles, and tried to come up with a plan. He didn’t realize what Anakin was doing until it was done. The sentients fell to the ground, in a deep sleep. He gave Anakin a side-eye.

“What?” Anakin said defensively, “Would you like to keep being nearly impaled by them?” He questioned in jest, “I can wake them right back up for you Master.” Obi-Wan was not impressed by this, but he admitted to himself that Anakin’s plan had at least given them time to regroup.

“First we should explore the summit, then we can readdress the adversaries.” Obi-Wan began. “Anakin, that sleep suggestion will hold, correct? Do you require assistance?” Anakin just gave him a look as if to say ‘A five year old could do this’. Obi-Wan took a defensive posture, “I was simply airing on the side of caution. It may be weird getting using the Force for physical things again, we don’t know.” He reasoned. Anakin gave him a reluctant nod accompanied by an over exaggerated eye roll. Qui-Gon had already taken to scrutinizing the horizon, for any sign or signal that civilization was near. 

“Do you see or sense anything? I see only the desert.” Qui-Gon stated, demoralized.

“I’m afraid I do not, Anakin?”

“Nothing, but I do think I figured out who their leader is.” Anakin said looking up from his observance of the tribe. He pointed to a tall man with a warrior’s physique, his body was adorned with many carved bones of animals, far more than his companions.

“Maybe we should wake him up, see if there is a chance for diplomatic communication. Maybe he knows of some other species with a more developed society.” Obi-Wan debated.

“Alright, but I’m taking his pointy stick away first.” Anakin gently relieved the man of his rudimentary weapon, then tapped his forehead. The man immediately came to and glared at his opponents fiercely. Obi-Wan sighed, and decided to take the lead. After all, _he_ was the one they had weighed down with the title of _The Negotiator._

Pointing to himself and his fellows, Obi-Wan stated, “Jedi.” This was to gauge the man’s repertoire of communication. He didn’t believe that the Force would’ve graced these sentients with the knowledge of Basic, but he hoped the humanoid would at least recognize the gesture as an introduction. The man stood, and screamed. And it was not a happy scream. With the rage of an angry gundark, he lunged at the closest Jedi, who happened to be Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon looked at him as if he were a youngling throwing a tantrum, and with a wave of his hand the leader was asleep once more.

“Well that went well.” Anakin proclaimed sarcastically.

“I fear this is going to be a relatively strenuous process. We should return to the Jedi, I’m afraid I am out of ideas. It is apparent that these sentients are not advanced enough to meaningfully communicate with us. Without transportation, we have no way of reaching the rest of the planet to see if there are other species at a higher caliber.” Obi-Wan mused in disappointment. 

“I agree with you Master, there’s just one problem. How are we supposed to return to the Jedi? We can’t just drop dead.” Anakin stated.

“No we cannot,” Qui-Gon began, “but we can drop,” He motioned to the cliff faces surrounding them, “and then we will be dead. We simply must trust in the Force.” He proclaimed. Obi-Wan found this idea to be unsavory. He hardly liked the plan of becoming a Jedi splat at the bottom of some ravine on a foreign planet. He did however see his old Master’s logic, and resigned himself to the fact that it would at least be instant from this height.

“That’s good enough for me,” said Anakin, and with a cheeky smile he continued, “Last one to the cosmic medium is a slimy Hutt” and started off with a run. Qui-Gon was on his heels, they were both always on the move. Obi-Wan sighed and watched them disappear off the mountain as he approached the edge. With another, longer sigh he took a step into the air.

The Force grasped his soul, bringing it back to where it belonged. He floated through the cosmos to the Jedi Council singularity. For the past eon or so they had taken to spending time at this location --it was the biggest black hole in the universe, so it was an easily located well in space-time. Anakin and Qui-Gon were waiting for him.

“Hey Obi-Hutt!” Anakin chimed gleefully, “I’ve really missed you you know, you took forever. I feel like I haven’t seen you in centuries.” He professed overdramatically. Obi-Wan rolled his metaphysical eyes at this, he had delayed mere _seconds_ , yet Anakin wasn’t going to let him live it down for a few _millennia_. He ignored his former Padawan’s jibe, but fell into stride with the two. Together they entered the council.


	4. Jedi Council 90,000 BC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all! First of all, thanks to anyone reading ILY. I don't have anything new to say about the fic per say, but I did find a funny fun fact when I was researching Force Ghosts today (or at least funny to me given that 2020 has irreparably broken my sense of humor). There was a Jedi Master who also achieved the status of Force Ghost called Master Dominus. Dominus in Latin is Master, so essentially some Star Wars writer thought he could get away with naming someone Master Master, and he was right.

**Jedi Council 90,000 BC**

“Troubling, this is. Ways to overcome this lack of technological development, we must ponder.” Yoda stated from his perch in space. The Council was an eclectic mix of pseudo-physicality and shared memory. The Jedi appeared to be in a colossal replica of a traditional Temple, yet in reality it was only their collective memory that projected this illusion. The Jedi themselves were akin to electrons. They were capable of appearing as a ghost of their original selves, yet over time they had strayed from this, it required more energy. Many preferred the more efficient method of simply radiating through the vacuum of space as a shapeless entity.

The most cunning of their order stepped forth. He was a smouldering fire that left sinful shadows in his wake. His allegiance was to the Jedi, but out of spite towards the Sith more than true loyalty. His soul had been shattered by both their hands. Revan spoke, “We must be the progress we wish to see. These sentients will never flourish without our hands to guide them. I suggest we keep half our numbers in the ethereal realm to keep the eternal Spirits of the Sith at bay. The other half should return to the mortal plane in small groups or pairs.” He demanded shrewdly. The Order pondered his declaration, but they were not in disagreement. 

“I wholeheartedly agree with this proposition. I just suggest we add structure to it. We should perhaps take turns in the immortal and mortal domains; that way on the occasion of disaster, we are all sufficiently prepared in both territories. I believe that language is the first key towards advancement of these sentients. I’m sure they have some rudimentary tongue, but we should introduce Basic. Following that, I propose transportation and infrastructure development to stem their agricultural revolution. Finally, industrialization.” Obi-Wan Kenobi stated with a confidence that he had never found in his first life.

“What about these groups or pairs for on planet missions?” Anakin replied, “We need a system for that as well, or we won’t operate smoothly, the mechanics won’t work.” He reasoned.

Shaak Ti made her presence in the Force known then. She was in charge of the entire clone operation, so she was easily the most qualified to create functional units. “We first brainstorm who we know works well together, we can also use this period of planetary infancy to experiment with different combinations. I suggest spending a lifecycle with each Jedi in a group with you to get a feel for how much you can accomplish together. We will revisit these combinations after this trial period, and finalize core groups.” Her logic was infallible, the sentients were hardly a threat at this point in time, and the Jedi needed to adjust to physical existence. Their order was fifty strong, so this endeavour could only take a few millenia at most.

“Forgetting one thing, you all are. Slow your thoughts, you must. Humanoids, the sentients are in form. Only humanoids, can we be seen as. Stay in the heavens, the other Jedi must.” Yoda stated pensively, though he didn’t seem too upset about this arrangement.

“Master Yoda brings across a good point. We must integrate into their society, not impose our own.” Obi-Wan replied thoughtfully.

“Okay, but what are we going to call this place?” Luke asked, straying from the point --this surprised no one on the council.

“I propose the name Earth.” Stated Qui-Gon. The Jedi stood in suspension, waiting for his reasoning. Eventually Qui-Gon realized that they wished for him to elaborate. “It’s an acronym: Eventually All Returns Through Hope, Earth.” He stated solemnly.

“Approved.” Stated Revan after gaining confirmation from his fellows through the Force.

"May the Force be with us fellow Masters. We have work to do." said Obi-Wan with conviction, drawing the meeting to a close.


End file.
